Africa News

Injuries from Libyan air strike on Ras Lanuf reaches 17

Mar 10, 2011, 11:48 GMT

Cairo/Tripoli - The casualty figure in a Libyan air strike in the northern city of Ras Lanuf rose Thursday to 17 people injured, medical sources said. Previously they had spoken of 7 injured.

The air strike hit a hospital parking lot and a nearby residential building.

Rebels said that Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's troops attacked a residential neighbourhood Thursday in Ras Lanuf, a day after the Libyan news website Brniq reported that four people were killed in air strikes on the city on Wednesday.

At least 24 people were injured Wednesday, according to the website, which said a fighter jet had struck a house in a residential area, but that rebels had evacuated the area just before the attack.

Most families in Ras Lanuf and employees at the main oil refinery there have fled the city.

According to the opposition, the attacks are part of an eastern push by Gaddafi forces towards Benghazi, the first city to fall under rebel control.

The opposition has vowed to fight back, despite unconfirmed reports of deaths and injuries caused by air and ground attacks in several parts of the country.

'We have two options: Either freedom and access to development, or slavery under the feet of the tyrant Moamer Gaddafi,' read a statement posted on the website of the rebels' National Council, based in Benghazi.

In the eastern city of Misurata, a spokesman for the rebels said there was a shortage of medical supplies.

Broadcaster Al Jazeera reported that clashes between rebels and government forces continued in the city of al-Zawiyah, some 100 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli.

Protests erupted February 15 calling for the ouster of Gaddafi, who has been in power for nearly 42 years. A number of large eastern cities, including Benghazi, and smaller western cities have fallen into rebel hands, but Tripoli remains under Gaddafi's control.

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